iOS 12 + Parenting = Sanity Regained

Parental controls are always a challenge. Enter an array of products that have flooded the market to manage this, from the Disney Ring, to Comcast’s xFi service: all decent choices as a way to manage devices on your home network. Great products, to be sure, each in their own way.

However, what if you could have features just as powerful for managing your children’s Apple devices? Enter: Screen Time.

Apple has finally answered our prayers for a better way to take the reins on what kind of experience we would like our children to have on their iOS devices. For us adults, it can also make us take a step back to review our own digital habits. I was surprised to find how much reading I average in a day!

Some of the aforementioned, non-Apple solutions allow you to “lock down” devices past a certain time. While that sounds great, often times it is referring to only locking them down while connected to the restricted WiFi connection. If your child has an iPhone, or an iPad with cellular, they can still peruse without issue. Screen Time’s Downtime feature finally presents users with the ability to truly lock down access to the phone during a certain time period.

Or what about when you’re perfectly fine with usage of an app, but you want to limit how long they can utilize certain apps- or app categories. Enter: App Limits. In the example below, a custom time has been put into place which allows 1 hour of social networking app use on weekdays, with 2 hours of use on weekend days.

And for those who want to ensure you or your child have access to specific apps at all times, including during scheduled Downtime, enter Always Allowed.

Finally, we are now in full control of every nook and cranny of what is visible content-wise to our children, as well as what from their device we make visible to ourselves (as parents) and third parties.

For more insight from Apple themselves, check out the following link. If you need assistance getting things set up, whether for your family or your employees, Start On Technology is here to ensure you make full use of your Apple devices! Review our plans and request support when you’re ready to get in touch with our team.